Broadcast News

GatesAir Scoops DTV Transmission Contract

GatesAir has won a large digital TV (DTV) transmission contract with Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN Chile), a Chilean public service broadcaster.

The contract includes a three year roll-out of 124 ISDB-Tb DTV transmitters in key cities throughout Chile, with initial deployments focused on the metropolitan centers of Concepcion and Valparaiso City.

TVN Chile selected GatesAir, one of 12 transmission suppliers under evaluation, due to its industry-leading longevity, reliable customer service and support, and positive experiences with GatesAir analog TV transmitters. TVN Chile also pointed to GatesAir’s high-efficiency transmitter designs and broad range of power levels as key factors in their decision. The initial rollout includes a mix of Maxiva ULXTE liquid-cooled (1 kW and higher) and UAXTE air-cooled (under 1 kW) transmitters, with additional phases to follow.

"GatesAir has been in business for nearly 100 years, and has supported many of the largest national DTV transition projects worldwide," said Mario Sepulveda, Chief Engineer, TVN Chile. "Our experience with GatesAir has proven they can reliably support large transmission networks with technical resources and spare parts, quickly solve problems, and fortify projects with customer-friendly frame agreements and warranties. All of this speaks to the very high quality of their products and services. The very high efficiency of Maxiva transmitters will also reduce footprint and air conditioning at all of our transmission sites, lowering our total cost of ownership throughout Chile."

Chile's unusual geography makes DTV transmission a unique challenge for broadcasters, with mountainous and coastal regions running north to south in close proximity through much of country. The country's long length can also produce dramatic differences in temperature range, making GatesAir’s liquid-cooled solutions highly valuable in Chile's hottest summer weather. GatesAir's ULXTE transmitters are used worldwide to substantially reduce air conditioning use for higher power transmission systems in warmer climates.

Sepulveda adds that GatesAir's integrated remux technology will simplify regional content distribution. Content generated at TVN Chile's Santiago headquarters is distributed to satellites in different regions, with unique program multiplexes delivered in the north and the south. Maxiva transmitters in each region will receive their DTV broadcast multiplexes via satellite, and then "remux" the signals for transmission to regional viewers.